Feb 20, 2017
Co-Equal Intelligences
Some of the greatest words written by Joseph Smith are:
“Man was also in the beginning with God. Intelligence, or the light of truth, was not created or made, neither indeed can be.” D&C 93:29
He also said this:
“The mind or the intelligence which man possesses is co-equal with God himself. … The intelligence of spirits had no beginning, neither will it have an end.
“I take my ring from my finger and liken it unto the mind of man–the immortal part, because it had no beginning. Suppose you cut it in two; then it has a beginning and an end; but join it again, and it continues one eternal round. So with the spirit of man. As the Lord liveth, if it had a beginning, it will have an end.” DHC 6:311
These words by Joseph enunciate a great principle that leads to much knowledge if contemplated upon. The principle is this. If a thing has a beginning then there must be an end, but there is no beginning then it will have no end. It also follows that if something has no end, then it also had no beginning and if it has an end then it had to have a beginning.
The one thing in us that is eternal, without beginning or end is called by him “intelligence.”
It was said by him to be “co-equal” with God. The authorities in the church thought he couldn’t have really meant to say this so they placed the word “co-eternal” in parenthesis, figuring that must have been what he really meant.
But it was not a mistake. He said co-equal, because that is what he meant.
So, now the question arises: Why would he teach such a brazen thing? Isn’t God far above us and much greater?
To understand why he used this word we must go back to the words of Jesus. Concerning himself he said:
“I and my Father are one.” John 10:30
Then concerning his disciples he said, “Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.” John 17:11
If Jesus is one with God or the Father this would make him co-equal with him. But then the kicker is this. If we are one with God and Christ then we are also co-equal, just as Joseph said.
Now let us extend Joseph’s reasoning further. He tells us that the co-equal part, the intelligence, was not created, but never had a beginning and will never have an end.
What does this say about us right here, right now?
Since this is an eternal condition this means that, this uncreated part of ourselves, our intelligence, is co-equal with God even now.
How can this be? All of us have flaws and there are some really bad dudes out there that seem to be very far from being anywhere equal with God.
The answer is that we have forgotten who we are. Jesus was the first to fully remember (or realize) and after such recollection he could then declare, “I and my Father are one.” In other words, we are co-equal.
He also taught the importance of recalling (or realizing) this to his disciples. Thus he prayed that they could understand who they are and realize oneness also.
This oneness is not something that we will attain in some far off world. We have it now, but must realize that which we have and that which we are.
Before we explore further we must understand how our intelligence, or the immortal part of ourselves is co-equal and one with God.
Before physical creation occurred all substance existed in what one might call Divine Space, of which the space around us and the heavens is a dim reflection. Existing in this unlimited space, beyond the limits of time, were divine sparks of light and truth which were manifestations of the life of the One God.
The stars we see manifesting in space above us are a rough correspondence to intelligences manifesting in Divine Space.
The body of the One God was all space and the intelligences manifesting within that space. After creation God’s body included all forms in the universe.
Each intelligence was linked to the total life of God and partook in oneness of the one mind.
The process of how our original intelligence partook of the oneness is described somewhat in the book of Moses:
“And it came to pass, as the voice was still speaking, Moses cast his eyes and beheld the earth, yea, even all of it; and there was not a particle of it which he did not behold, discerning it by the spirit of God.
“And he beheld also the inhabitants thereof, and there was not a soul which he beheld not; and he discerned them by the Spirit of God; and their numbers were great, even numberless as the sand upon the sea shore.” Moses 1:27-28
Even so, as an intelligence there was not one other intelligence that you did not behold.
Now, imagine being back there and sharing in the wholeness of the life of God with the realization that you were one with all other intelligences and the wholeness thereof.
Would we not all be co-equal, just as Joseph said? Your fellow intelligences could not be any more or less one than you.
We had it pretty good back then in a very blissful and peaceful existence, but we wanted something to challenge us so we all participated in the creation of a universe that would test us to the maximum possible. For maximum growth we realized that we would have to enter an existence that was much more limited than our place of origin. Overcoming the problems and limitations would bring an increase to the light and truth we shared.
We were like many drops of water in the ocean of space. A drop of water in an ocean identifies with the ocean and may even say it is the ocean. When removed from the ocean it seems separate and alone until it returns.
This is an imperfect analogy that many teachers have used, but it helps the mind to understand.
We made an interesting journey from oneness to this creation in which we find ourselves.
Copyright by J J Dewey
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